I arrive early while the bride or wedding party and family is
getting ready. I use this time to document everything as it
unfolds. The bride needs to be ready first, so that formal
portraits can be taken. These are usually interior shots with the
bride, but it depends on the setting.

Keep in mind that the room where the bride is getting dressed
should be a spacious, uncluttered and bright ( large windows are
great, white walls and ceilings too) as the quality and style of
your photos will depend on this.

Make sure that your hairstylist and make-up artist are
experienced individuals. Fixing make up or spending more time than
required styling hair will cut into the time that is neccesary to
take your bridal portraits. When this happens and time is limited
you will feel rushed and not get the desired results. You should be
relaxed and comfortable for your photographs. Great images take
time to style an capture.

During the ceremony I document everything. It's important to
remember to slow down. Walk down the aisle very slowly. Place rings
on your partners fingers slowly. Kiss for about 10 seconds! A
second kiss is great too. Take your time. This will help ensure
that you have great photos.

Family portraits are quick, fun and spontaneous. Not stiff.
I take on a more contemporary style, grouping family members
into smaller groups within the group to avoid the typical fire
brigade line pose. Think asymmetry. Let the master of ceremonies
round up guests and coordinate groups for easy flow on your wedding
day.

For the couple portraits I'd like the bride and groom to be as
comfortable as possible, so we usually decide on 1 or 2 locations
prior to your wedding day and an additional indoor location during
the rainy season. I usually give some direction in terms of posing
and styling to add elegance to the composition, but most clients
will gain confidence as the shoot progresses and become less self
aware and thus more natural in front of the camera. I enjoy
creating editorial images that are naturally styled to give a
elegant fashionable edge to your photos, but I also balance styled
images with photo-journalistic moments where emotion are
spontaneously captured. Depending on the couple, photos can be
spontaneous or intimate. It really depends on your personalities
and what you bring to to the shoot in terms of relationship
dynamics and spontaneity. The most important component that the
client bring to the shoot is the ability to just be themselves. The
most important task I have is to capture your unique personalities
as well as as the intimate relationship in the most natural
way.

I look for clean, soft light, simple backgrounds, colour,
contrast and strong compositions. Clean simple lines are best. I
also focuss on the story line adding detail and balancing
contextual images with close-ups.

The quality of the light is crucial to ensure best results for
your couple photos, so please consult with your photographer to
find out which time frames will be best for your bride-groom couple
portraits.

Reception coverage depends on the client. My basic service
package consists of 8 hours of photographic coverage and usually
covers your entire wedding day, including basic reception
formalities. There is really no need to book your photographer into
the late evening for your reception. If you consider the practical
uses of these images in terms of preserving memories and album
layouts as well as the variety of shots that you will find,
there is no real difference between two or five hours of
reception coverage.

I recommend cutting the cake before opening the dance floor - it
just flows better this way. A great alternative is to open
the dance floor upon entering the reception venue. Also remember to
leave the lights on during the first two songs and to dance your
entire first song without guests joining the dance floor.

When looking for my wedding photographer what is the
most important thing that I should consider?

You should feel comfortable with your photographer right from
the start. This is the most important aspect in choosing a
photographer as he or she will be spending the entire day with you,
documenting your wedding. Ask yourself if you are in love with
their work. Does your vision match their vision? Do they "get you"?
Do they care about you? A passionate photographer will be
interested in finding out about you, how you met, your vision for
your wedding day etc. Don't settle for anything less. Choose
someone who you really resonate with.

What are some important questions I should ask all of my
potential wedding photographers?

What is your style of shooting a wedding? Do you bring backup
equipment? How much coverage do you provide on my wedding day? What
is your plan if you get ill, or if another emergency situation
arises so that you can't shoot my wedding day? Do you have an
assistant or second shooter present with you on my wedding
day?

What are the requirements from the client's side for a
wedding shoot?

A detailed time-table with exact time frames for each segment of
your wedding day.

A list of your chosen wedding vendors and their contact details,
especially the wedding coordinator.

A list of your formal family portraits ( about 8 groups) as well
as an appointed guest who will be able to coordinate guests to be
on time for their group portraits. This is really helpful and can
save a great deal of time.

Allowing sufficient time for your pre-wedding portraits, family
portraits and couple photos is essential to create good flow on
your wedding day. A great photograph takes time to style and it
takes a bit of time for the client to feel at ease and feel
comfortable in front of the camera.

Time of day is the most important consideration for your photos.
A good way to approach this is to find out when the sun will
set on your wedding day and to use the last hour or two before
sunset as the time frame for your couple location portraits. Late
afternoon light is soft and flattering. Now you have a fixed point
to work from so that you can plan your ceremony and reception time
frames accordingly.

Ensure that there is enough time in between each segment of your
wedding day, so that you don't run late and feel stressed out on
the day. Hiring a wedding coordinator could be very helpful if you
need assistance in planning your wedding.

What is the turn around time for wedding
photos?

You will receive all of your wedding photos between 8 - 10 weeks
after your wedding, unless otherwise discussed.

How many images will I receive?

An unlimited amount of images will be taken on your wedding day.
8- 9 hours of photographic coverage usually covers your
entire wedding day. I will edit 500+ images, fully edited.
Quality is more important than quantity.

You will receive all your high resolution images on a USB device
for easy transference.

Can I post my wedding photos to Facebook, personal blog
etc?

Absolutely. All I ask is that credit is given to my photos.

Will my wedding photos be displayed on your
blog?

I cannot guarantee a blog post, but I do my best to showcase my
favourite images of every shoot. My main goal is to prepare and
finish my client's images and get their images to them. Your photos
will be uploaded onto a private client gallery, once you have
received your parcel. It is useful to send the private gallery link
to your guests so that they will be able to view or download
wedding photos from my website.

Do you give out RAW unedited files?

I do not. Every image is tweaked for white balance, saturation
and exposure. Suitable images are converted to black&white and
other basic colour treatments.

How do you process your images?

I go through all your image in LightRoom and Photoshop, where I
tweak and correct images for colour balance, saturation and
contrast. Images that are converted to black and white are usually
more emotional shots or images where monotone gives the overall
images a stronger effect by reducing clutter or emphasizing
texture. I do not edit photos for colour spotting as it is not my
style of editing.

What is an engagement shoot?

This is an outdoor photo shoot session with the couple a few
months before their wedding day. I usually recommend a few
locations to the couple. Good ideas include ruins, car graveyard,
architecture, cityscape, winelands, fields or beach locations,
depending on the couple's preference.

An engagement shoot is a great way to really connect with your
photographer and understand the process of styling and capturing
images. The photos that you receive can also be a great tool to
give yourself feedback and this can help you notice and improve
small elements like styling hands, to enhance your wedding photos
on your wedding day. Noticing the way you move and being more aware
of your body can add elegance and finess to your photos.

This shoot is also a good way for me to get to know you, the
client. It's important to get a feel for the couple, so that I can
capture your personalities and relationship in an auhentical
way.

It's a fun and informal shoot and it's really good practice for
the couple. You will feel comfortable with your photographer and
more confidant in styling yourself on your wedding day, so you will
know what to expect.

Engagement photos can be used for safe-the-date cards, wedding
blogs, signing books or large canvas displays on your wedding day,
so keep this in mind.

I'm engaged and I'm starting the process of planning my
wedding. I have no idea where to begin?

Firstly, you'll need to secure a beautiful venue.

In order to get the photographer you really want, I would say
that this would be your second decision.

After this it's all about the detail. There are so many DIY and
styling wedding blogs that I can recommend to clients: South Bound
Bride, WeddingFriends and Ohdarlingdays as local DIY wedding
inspiration other international websites:

You can also collect inspiration boards on Pinterest to collect
ideas and share them with the relevant vendors. This way you can
have it all in one place rather than binders with magazine
clippings - very 21st century bride.

Do you offer wedding albums?

Coffee Table Books are a popular choice in the wedding
industry - available in various sizes - printed on 150gms top art
triple coated environmental gree matt paper. Hard covers,
personalised hard covers, linen covers or leatherette ( available
in black or nutmeg) are a great way to preserve and showcase your
images at affordable prices. Genuine nappa leather in dark brown is
available on request.

I want to book you for my wedding date! What should I do
next?

Email me your wedding date at [email protected] or
use my contact
page to send me your request. I try to accommodate clients as
best I can in terms of the level of coverage they desire and/or
wedding budgets. Please enquire with a detailed brief for
customised quotes.

Please include the following in your email: number of guests
attending, venue, level of coverage you need on your wedding day
and your budget.

I will send you a wedding quote, specific to your photographic
needs. If you are interested in utilising my services we could
arrange to meet up at a local coffee shop or at my home.

If you cannot meet up and prefer emailing or skyping that is
fine too. If we both feel that we are a good fit for each other,
then we can proceed with the booking. In order to hold your wedding
date a non-refundable deposit of R2000 and a signed contract will
be required. The remaining balance is due 7 days prior to your
wedding date.

Travel expenses will be calculated into the balance
due.

All payments and contracts are done electronically and securely
over the internet.

I am a wedding and portrait photographer, based in the beautiful
mother city of Cape Town. I enjoy travelling and working along the
Garden Route with many blissful visits to the Klein Karoo. I strive
to take photos that are simple, natural and beautiful. I welcome
the opportunity to meet interesting people, like yourself, to
discuss the possibility of creating amazing images with you, that
you will love and treasure for life.